The author pointed out something I had not considered before: Jesus jumping from the highest point of the Temple would not have been a private event. I had only ever considered it from the perspective of testing God, but the temptation would have also been to gain instant, widespread fame. Of course, Jesus' name became well known throughout the region fairly quickly as stories of his teachings and miracles spread like wild-fire.

Looking at myself in light of this devotion, I can say that I don't believe I often do things with the intention of receiving acclamation for it. There are actually many ministers who would prefer to be out of the spotlight but the very nature of their position places them center-stage. I do, however, find myself often seeking the approval of others. I don't want empty praise, but genuinely want to know if my work was "good enough." If it were an issue of self-promotion than humility would be the answer, as the author points out. For those of us struggling with seeking not acclamation but approval, the answer is found in remembering that our worth is not determined by the opinions of others but in the eyes of our King who has already purchased us at great cost.

After reading and thinking through Day 2, I’m reminded of II Kings, Chapter 5, where Naaman is healed of leprosy. I’ll be sharing excerpts from “Overcoming Self Importance” by Ray Pritchard.
This is one of those biblical stories that at first glance may seem rather remote from life in the 21st-century, but in the end proves the old adage that the more things change, the more they stay the same. From this slice of military life, we learn a great deal about the inner barriers that keep us from facing our problems and finding a way to get better.
There are four things we need to know about this man Naaman. First, he was the military leader of the armies of Syria (Aram was the ancient name for Syria). In our day think of Colin Powell or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Second, he was a very powerful man. He had power, influence and the great wealth that came with his position. Third, he was successful in battle. Even though he was a pagan and Syria was a pagan nation, the Lord had given him victory on the battlefield. Fourth, he had leprosy. This is the fact that more than balances everything else. It is hard for us today to understand how the ancients felt about leprosy. In many ways it was the AIDS of the Old Testament. It was so feared that in Israel those diagnosed with leprosy were separated from the rest of society and made to live with other lepers. If they came near the uninfected, someone would go before them shouting, “Unclean! Unclean!” to warn others that a leper was approaching. Naaman’s leprosy apparently was either in the early stages or was a relatively mild form of the disease. In any case it had drastically changed his life and left him with a very dismal future.
I should pause at this point to comment that even the most powerful people are ultimately powerless. There are some things that money can’t buy and some things that earthly power cannot obtain. Although he was one of the most powerful men in Syria, and although he had access to the king himself, and although he could have anything he wanted, Naaman could do nothing to cure himself. Wealth and power and influence will only take you so far. Naaman could defeat any enemy in battle but he was powerless against the disease that was taking his life.
One day the Syrian army captured a young Israelite girl who became a servant to Naaman’s wife. She must have liked her master because she mentioned to Mrs. Naaman that she knew of a prophet in Samaria (Elisha) who could cure leprosy. Mrs. Naaman told her husband who reacted as any man of the world would. He decided to use his influence with the king to get the help he needed. When the king heard the news, he reacted the way men of the world always react in situations like this. He decided to write a letter to the king of Israel. Men of power like doing things like that. They write letters, make phone calls, send e-mails, they make connections because they know powerful people. It would help his friend Naaman and it would also demonstrate that the king was a man who could get things done.
So he wrote the king of Israel asking for his help. Now the king of Israel (a man named Jehoram) was not a godly man. He was a wicked king who had followed after idols and was leading his country down the path of moral and spiritual ruin. He was a weak, paranoid man who reacted in fear when he received the letter from the king of Syria: “As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, ‘Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!’” (II Kings 5:7). The most fascinating part of this is how he views leprosy. It is so hopeless that the king of Syria might as well have sent him a corpse and asked him to revive it. As far as he is concerned, this was just a ruse to give the Syrians an excuse to attack Israel.
When Elisha hears about the letter, he sends word to the king to send Naaman to him. “Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel” (v. 8). So now Naaman and his cavalcade of horses, camels, soldiers, servants, flag bearers, and other personal attendants make their way to the humble home of the prophet of God. Naaman is in for a big surprise. He fully expects the prophet to come out to greet him and to personally take charge of his healing. Nothing of the sort happens. Elisha doesn’t even come to the door. Instead he sends his servant to meet Naaman with some very strange instructions: “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed” (v. 10).
Nothing is going right for the proud, afflicted Syrian general. He is in enemy territory, desperately trying to find a cure for his leprosy. The king can’t help him and the prophet won’t even meet him personally. And the t

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